Pumpkin Oat Bran Muffins

One of my goals is to stop buying so much boxed cereal. Of all the food items we consume regularly, this one has to be among the worst at filling us up for the amount of money spent (one might even say that it has the lowest satiety/cost ratio, but I try to dispense with unnecessary technicalities here). It's hardly an exaggeration to say that twenty minutes after my kids have finished their cold cereal, they're ready for second breakfast. And then elevenses. The only problem is that on busy weekday mornings, I seldom have the time to cook breakfast as I'm getting kids dressed, lunches packed, and last-minute emergencies taken care of ("I can't find my shoes/homework/lucky underwear/library books/random thing I found on the ground yestserday"). That's why frozen convenience foods have become my best friend. Yes, think Eggo-waffles, only cheaper, healthier, and homemade. While I do occasionally have waffles in the freezer, more often I have muffins and mini-omelets, which my kids like even more than waffles. My favorite muffin recipe is one my aunt gave me long ago and one I have been using for years. These muffins are packed full of pumpkin-spicey deliciousness, so they're tasty enough for kids, but they're also full of wholesome oat bran, so they're healthy and guilt-free for grownups. In fact, last week when four-year-old Benjy was sick with a stomach bug, these muffins were the first thing he wanted when he finally felt well enough to eat. 

Now if only I could keep my freezer constantly stocked with these muffins, my kids might forget about cold cereal entirely. Might.

Pumpkin Oat Bran Muffins  
Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 c. unprocessed oat bran
• 1/2 c. firmly-packed brown sugar
• 1/2 c. all-purpose flour
• 2 tsp. baking powder
• 1 tsp. pumpkin pie spice
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 1 c. cooked mashed pumpkin
• 1/2 c. milk
• 1 egg, lightly beaten
• 2 Tbs. vegetable oil

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Combine dry ingredients in a large bowl. Make a well in the center of the mixture. 

2. Combine remaining ingredients, stir well. Add mixture to dry ingredients, stirring until just moistened.
3. Coat muffin pans with cooking spray. Spoon mixture into muffin pans, filling cups 3/4 full.
4. Bake 20-25 minutes or until muffins test done in the center. Cool in muffin tins 2-3 minutes, then remove and let cool completely. To freeze, wrap muffins individually in foil or plastic wrap. Store individually wrapped muffins in freezer bags.